DivX 5.0.4 and DivX5Enc - Anyone tested?

[acanthis]

Before I waste my time installing the latest release of DivX, has anyone checked whether this combination still works? I usually find even making a minor update of DivX versions trashes everything else, and it's very tiring (not to say extremely irritating!)

Thanks for any comments.

[Nazgul]

Originally posted by acanthis
Before I waste my time installing the latest release of DivX, has anyone checked whether this combination still works? I usually find even making a minor update of DivX versions trashes everything else, and it's very tiring (not to say extremely irritating!)


If I try to run jobs with the "Use MV file" option, it can't seem to create the appropriate mvinfo.bin file. I just get a list of entries that says "mvinfo.bin not found" and all the jobs have failed.


EDIT: IF I queue up jobs in VDubMod manually with the option selected, it still doesn't create the file, but the move still gets made. Looks like it might be a Divx problem rather than a Divx5Enc problem.

[acanthis]

Originally posted by Nazgul
If I try to run jobs with the "Use MV file" option, it can't seem to create the appropriate mvinfo.bin file. I just get a list of entries that says "mvinfo.bin not found" and all the jobs have failed.


EDIT: IF I queue up jobs in VDubMod manually with the option selected, it still doesn't create the file, but the move still gets made. Looks like it might be a Divx problem rather than a Divx5Enc problem.

Yep, you're right - 5.0.4 appears to ignore the directive to create the MV file, and there's no clear indication what it is actually doing. As you say the movie gets made, but is it storing the MV info? If so, where? If not, why isn't there an error message? If it no longer has the ability to create the MV file then why is the option still there?

Why? Why? Why? Why? .....

Why is it that every single time a new version of this codec comes out something in it gets broken? Anyway, off comes 5.0.4 and back goes 5.0.3 - because if that one simple function has been broken and it was never picked up in beta test, then what else has been messed up in the process?

Anyone have a likely date for 5.0.5?

[Acaila]

Please read this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51480) thread for what happened with MV in 5.04.

[eXistenZ]

I wasted some time :rolleyes: and tried DivX 5.0.4 with DivX5Enc.
I confirm Nazgul's experience. This combination works perfectly, provided that you disable MV file ;)

EDIT: Well, I've read the thread about what happened with MV and I think that DivX5Enc expects to find mvinfo.bin and throws an error if it doesn't find it, but there isn't an actual codec fault...

Maybe DivX5Enc should be updated to face new codec's behaviour...

Bye, eXistenZ

[acanthis]

Originally posted by eXistenZ
I wasted some time :rolleyes: and tried DivX 5.0.4 with DivX5Enc.
I confirm Nazgul's experience. This combination works perfectly, provided that you disable MV file ;)

EDIT: Well, I've read the thread about what happened with MV and I think that DivX5Enc expects to find mvinfo.bin and throws an error if it doesn't find it, but there isn't an actual codec fault...

Maybe DivX5Enc should be updated to face new codec's behaviour...

Bye, eXistenZ

You're right, that's what DivX5Enc is expecting, but that doesn't address the issue with DivX.

Try creating the video outside of DivX5nc; just using VirtualDub and creating two jobs - Original Two Pass, Pass 1 and then Pass 2 (I don't waste my time with the overrated n-pass mode) If you specify that an MV file is to be created, it isn't! As I said, if this functionality has now been removed, then the dialogue that allows it to be specified should also be removed.

[acanthis]

Originally posted by acanthis
You're right, that's what DivX5Enc is expecting, but that doesn't address the issue with DivX.

Try creating the video outside of DivX5nc; just using VirtualDub and creating two jobs - Original Two Pass, Pass 1 and then Pass 2 (I don't waste my time with the overrated n-pass mode) If you specify that an MV file is to be created, it isn't! As I said, if this functionality has now been removed, then the dialogue that allows it to be specified should also be removed.

Scratch that - I just read the prior post but one that links to the explanation for the fact that MV files have been internally disabled in 5.0.4 ... which only goes to justify my original complaint - every single time a new version of this codec is released something gets broken!

To the people who work so hard on this product, thank you for your efforts, but please remember that this is now a commercial product. If you want it to be taken seriously as a standard format then it must be stable and reliable.

I'll be looking forward to the next version.

[jonny]

The latest version tested with divx5enc is 5.0.3
I can't guarantee that divx5enc works good with 5.0.4 (this means that if it seems to work, doesn't means that works correctly!)

I'm working on a new app:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50714
and this app will replace divx5enc (it works and will work with every divx version)

[acanthis]

Originally posted by jonny
I'm working on a new app:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50714
and this app will replace divx5enc (it works and will work with every divx version)

Thanks, Jonny. I've just downloaded it and will try it out.

[acanthis]

Originally posted by acanthis
Thanks, Jonny. I've just downloaded it and will try it out.

Just an update - Your Enc program works fine for me, though of course it does not address the issue of the changed codec behaviour from 5.0.3 to 5.0.4 but anyway I've solved all my issues by simply rolling back to 5.0.3 - and it'll be a very long time before I'm persuaded to try another DivX upgrade.

[Nazgul]

Originally posted by acanthis
Just an update - Your Enc program works fine for me, though of course it does not address the issue of the changed codec behaviour from 5.0.3 to 5.0.4 but anyway I've solved all my issues by simply rolling back to 5.0.3 - and it'll be a very long time before I'm persuaded to try another DivX upgrade.

The mvinfo bug is a minor issue at best, maybe they felt it was easier to just diable the code internally until it's fixed than to recode the API and GUI to remove it completely. Divx5Enc is the only tool I know of to have a problem with this since it's the only tool that checks to see if the mvinfo file shows up, and it can easily be set not to do that. All we're missing by not having it is a little extra speed, anyway. I'd rather sacrifice a little speed for the improved encoding quality of Divx5.04 than go back to 5.03, myself.

[acanthis]

Originally posted by Nazgul
The mvinfo bug is a minor issue at best, maybe they felt it was easier to just diable the code internally until it's fixed than to recode the API and GUI to remove it completely. Divx5Enc is the only tool I know of to have a problem with this since it's the only tool that checks to see if the mvinfo file shows up, and it can easily be set not to do that. All we're missing by not having it is a little extra speed, anyway. I'd rather sacrifice a little speed for the improved encoding quality of Divx5.04 than go back to 5.03, myself.

Unfortunately the mvinfo bug is not the only one. There is a thread on this forum about the issue where the codec only generates keyframes within certain encoding apps. This was apparently so bad that a patched DLL was rushed out in an effort to fix it; I can't comment on this one because I whipped 5.0.4 off my machine just as soon as I found the very first fault.

The point is this: how many other bugs, incidents of changed behaviour, or broken sections of code are waiting to be found six weeks down the line, when you've got half a dozen CDs worth of 5.0.4 encoded video that can never be repaired?

I know that's an extreme (and possibly unlikely) scenario, but it's how I feel. And I'm sorry, but in the end it all comes down to poor version control and inadequate testing.